Kazan Church in Zelenogorsk was built in the 19th century. It has an unusual and interesting history. In addition to this temple, there are others in the city belonging to various faiths. The churches in Zelenogorsk, their history, architecture and interesting facts will be discussed in this article.
Construction history
Kazan Church in Zelenogorsk is an architectural monument. Its history begins in 1880, when the merchant A. I. Durdin (an honorary resident of St. Petersburg) built a small wooden temple on the land he owned. The hipped-roof church was erected in the so-called northern style according to the design of the then-famous architect F. S. Kharlamov. The church had an area of more than 60 m 2 and reached a height of approximately 20 meters.
Consecration of the Church
In early August 1880, the temple was consecrated in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Divine services in the church were held only in the warm season, as it was summertime.
Gradually, the number of pilgrims in the church increased and there was a need to expand it. In 1894, the area of the temple was almost doubled. The author of the project was the architect Yu. F. Bruni. It was he who decorated the building with a beautiful bell tower, which had the old Moscow style.
Four years later, the church was completely rebuilt, after which it was able to work in the winter, as well as receive more than a thousand parishioners.
Temple in the 20th century
Kazan Church in Zelenogorsk in early December 1907 was destroyed by fire. During the discussion of the restoration of the temple, a question arose that grew into a dispute about the place of construction. It was proposed to build a church 500 meters from its old site. After much debate, it was decided to build a temple in a new place.
The new stone church in Zelenogorsk was founded in 1910. Two years later, the building was completed. Diocesan architect N. N. Nikonov became the author of the project for the new church.
The crosses of the temple were sheathed with red copper, after which they were decorated with gold of the highest standard. The domes of the church were covered with aluminum powder, and they acquired a silvery color. The height of the new temple (together with the cross) was 49 meters. At the end of October 1913, the bells were raised. Their total weight was 14 tons.
Consecration and interior decoration
The interior of the church in Zelenogorsk was luxurious and beautiful. The carved iconostasis was made of precious wood and decorated with gold leaf. At the end of October 1914, one ofsmall aisles in the name of Sergius of Radonezh, and a year or two later - a small aisle in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Later, the iconostasis was made of marble and had three rows of icons, which were created by the talented St. Petersburg painter V. Bobrov.
An interesting fact is that because of the chapel of St. Sergius of Radonezh, this church is mistakenly called that, but its throne was consecrated in the name of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Also, this temple is confused with the church in Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where the throne was consecrated in the name of Sergius of Radonezh. This is how one side chapel of the Kazan Church brought confusion not only to the names of the church, but even to the cities.
In the Kazan church, an altar and a throne made of marble were installed, in addition to this, the temple was presented with rich utensils, as well as church books. A rich musical library was made for the temple choir. In mid-July 1915, the main church chapel was consecrated in the name of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan.
Church address: Zelenogorsk, Leningrad region, Primorskoe highway, 547. Services are held according to the schedule - from 10.30 to 19.00. On the great Orthodox holidays, the schedule is slightly adjusted.
Temple Architecture
Kazan Church in Zelenograd belongs to the category of many-domed temples. It has the Moscow-Yaroslavl style of temple architecture of the 16th century. The only departure from this style is that the inside of the church is not brightly painted, it is plastered and then painted with white and blue paint. Outwardly, the temple resembles St. Basil's Cathedral, located in the capitalour country. This is not surprising, because they were built in the same architectural style.
Later they decided to paint the temple, but the First World War prevented it. According to the initial project, the church was supposed to accommodate 800 parishioners, but in reality it accommodates more than one and a half thousand people. The church is a real monument of history and architecture of federal significance and is under state protection.
Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church in Zelenogorsk was built in 1908 by architect I. Stenbek. It has a standard architecture typical of classical German Lutheran churches. It has a rectangular plan and a superstructure on the right side, exceeding the height of the main building. It houses the church bell tower.
In the middle of the 20th century, the bell tower was destroyed, and a few years later the church was completely closed. Half a century later, the Lutheran church in Zelenogorsk was decided to be restored. However, the necessary funding was not available for a long period. In 2002, according to the project of A. V. Vasiliev and with the participation of engineer Grishina E. M., the temple was restored, and the bell tower was recreated according to old drawings.
Friendship and cooperation
Interesting fact: in 2008, when the Lutheran church was re-consecrated, the Kazan Church donated funds for the purchase of utensils and furniture for the church (Lutheran church). Currently, the clergy of the two temples closely cooperate and invite each other to church holidays. This is a great example of how representativesdifferent faiths not only coexist peacefully, but also make friends.
Lutheran Church is located at the address: Zelenogorsk, pr-t im. Lenina, 13a. Divine services in the church are held according to the schedule, on Saturday - from 12.00 to 20.00, on Sunday - from 12.00 to 16.00.
When you are in this beautiful city, you should definitely visit these churches. They will amaze you with the beauty and diversity of their architecture. These temples are absolutely different from each other both outside and inside. However, each of them is beautiful in its own way. The contrast between the magnificent Orthodox decoration of the Kazan Church and the asceticism of the Lutheran church is very noticeable.
After visiting these amazing places with a rich history, you will definitely want to come here again to enjoy the beauty of the temple architecture.
